Cons:

Let me start by saying that, since the first NBA 2K on Dreamcast, the Visual Concepts-developed series has been worlds ahead of any other hoops game on the market -- NBA Live included. However, I will concede that Live 06 has taken several strides to be more competitive with 2K's stellar efforts. At least, it took those strides in other iterations of this series, because the 360 version has received a full lobotomy.

It takes a lot of work to keep annual sports sequels from feeling just like roster updates. This is usually done by way of features -- such as the complex and compelling Franchise mode and the ability to do pull off superstar-exclusive moves. Evidently, the philosophy of NBA Live 06 on the Xbox 360 is that, since it's giving us better graphics, we don't need those extraneous things. That's right; they've been removed, and there's no slam-dunk contest, either. I fully realize that hitting a launch window of new technology is a tough task, but EA's got to realize that people expect at least the same number of features in the next-gen game as were in the last-gen game.

Before I get to more of the woes, I'll bring up some positives. Instead of a static load screen, this game gives you a virtual practice court. On it, you can just mess around as Dwyane Wade: shoot around, work on your ballhandling, or bring some friends along for a pick-up game (it even keeps score). It's a great idea that I hope every sports game copies from here on out.

The graphics are obviously the major selling point here, and rightly so. The game looks great in most areas -- from an interactive crowd to high-poly coaches to sweaty player foreheads. The player collision that's been a trademark of Live for years is kicked up a notch, and is really a sight to behold. I have to give the graphical edge to NBA 2K6, however. That game's players just look more realistic, especially in terms of facial detail and expressions, and it doesn't have to blur everything else as much to keep them looking that way. Also, I ran into way too many instances where a player would be driving toward the basket, and the ball would warp from mid-dribble to in the player's hands -- while the player took a good four steps. It lacks 2K6's fluidity in that respect, but it's still a very pretty game.

What we had to give up for those nice visuals is by no means worth it. Not only are features missing, but the speed has taken a huge hit. Even maxed out, the game drags along. This makes the game feel totally different, and I never liked the different buttons for dunk and shoot to begin with. The finite camera angles are generally horrible, and none really worked for me. Often, they were pulled back too far, and were too slow to keep up with the action. Manual replays don't exist, perhaps as a way of avoiding showing the chinks in Live 06's graphical armor.